Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Milwaukee — Attraction in Milwaukee

TRULY DISTURBING EXPERIENCE (April 30–May 4):||I rarely write reviews, but this experience demands to be shared. My recent stay at Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham was marred by multiple serious issues that disrupted my comfort, safety, and ability to meet professional obligations. This review reflects one very unfortunate stay—my past experiences with other Holiday Inn properties have been problem-free.||||🔹 Initial Room Conditions:||Upon arrival, we were met with a large, sticky coffee spill in front of the fridge. I requested cleaning, but staff merely wiped it with a dry cloth—no disinfectant was used.||→ I ended up cleaning the area myself to feel remotely comfortable.||||A broken drawer was protruding dangerously, which cut my leg as I passed by. Maintenance was unable to repair it, leaving a clear safety hazard in our room the entire week.||→ This level of neglect for guest safety is unacceptable.||||🔹 Overnight Chaos (Before Important Conference):||After discovering the headboard lights in Room 405 wouldn’t turn off, staff spent over 30 minutes trying to fix the issue. We were finally forced to move rooms at 1:35 a.m., just hours before a 6:00 a.m. professional conference. What followed was sheer chaos:||||1:39 a.m.: The Holiday Inn sign inside the elevator spontaneously fell and shattered when the doors opened—startling and dangerous.||||1:40 a.m.: New room keys didn’t work in the elevator, delaying us further.||||1:45 a.m.: In our new room (402), the ceiling fire alarm began beeping repeatedly.||→ The security guard (who was friendly and trying his best) spent another 30 minutes resolving the issue, bringing us to 2:15 a.m.—leaving us with barely any rest.||||🔹 Ongoing Problems in the New Room (402):||The room clock was 10 minutes behind, which directly caused us to be late for our conference.||||The inside door light switch and bathroom mirror light were both completely non-functional.||||On June 2 and 3 (after midnight), the shower only produced cold water—no hot or even warm option.||The towel hanger was broken off of the door with no alternatives as well.||→ Basic utilities should never be an issue at any hotel, let alone a major chain.||||🔹 Staff Professionalism & Cleanliness:||Throughout our stay, staff were often seen standing around in street clothes, wearing no uniforms, and constantly on their personal phones, including at the front desk.||→ This not only appeared unprofessional but also suggested a lack of attention to guest needs.||||Despite a 5-day stay, our room was never cleaned or restocked—no towels, no toiletries, nothing.||→ The hotel’s own sign claimed linens would be refreshed every 3 days to conserve water—this was ignored entirely.||→ This level of service was comically poor.||||🔹 Safety & Sanitation Issues:||On multiple nights, it was heard that there were ongoing drug-related issues on our floor.||→ The police were called after repeated warnings. This could’ve been handled discreetly—but instead, staff announced it loudly over the phone in the lobby, breaching privacy and escalating unease for other guests.||||The elevator consistently reeked of a strong mixture of marijuana, cigarettes, and cleaning chemicals—an unpleasant and nauseating combination.||||The Wi-Fi was unreliable throughout our stay (June 1–3), severely limiting our ability to work and attend parts of the conference remotely.||→ For business travelers, this is simply unacceptable.||||🔹 Insect Infestation (Most Disturbing):||Multiple large crawling insects were seen on several occasions—particularly near the bed and baseboards.||→ We documented this with photos and videos.||||This infestation made us feel deeply unsettled and unsafe, and raises major questions about sanitation and health standards at the property.||→ No guest should have to sleep in fear of insects crawling near their bed.||||🔹 Lack of Accountability & Poor Response:||Despite all these issues, no proactive apology, gesture of goodwill, or compensation was offered at all. Can you imagine?||||Upon check-out, I requested a refund or partial credit and was told I’d receive a 20% discount—which was later denied because I booked through Expedia.||||I was instead offered loyalty points, which are useless to me as I have no plans to return.||→ For a hotel under the IHG banner, the complete lack of accountability and care was staggering.||||🔹 Final Thoughts:||As a regular Days Inn guest, I expected far better. This stay was not only disappointing—it was disturbing.||→ The cumulative impact of unsanitary conditions, poor service, unprofessional staff, safety hazards, and disrupted sleep made this one of the worst hotel experiences of my life.||→ I strongly urge fellow travelers—especially those with professional obligations—to reconsider booking at this location.||Hopefully this review helps others avoid the...

TRULY DISTURBING EXPERIENCE⚠️ (April 30-May 4):

I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding my recent stay at the Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham and to bring awareness to and inform others of a series of horribly unacceptable issues that significantly disrupted both my comfort and professional obligations. Keep in mind this was only one experience and my previous Holiday Inn stays elsewhere were without issue.

Initial Room Conditions: Upon arrival, the first room had a large, sticky coffee spill in front of the fridge. I requested cleaning, but the staff only wiped it with a cloth—no disinfectant or cleaning agent was used. I had to then re-clean the area myself. Additionally, a broken drawer was jutting out dangerously and injured my leg. Maintenance was unable to repair it, leaving a safety hazard in the room for the duration of our stay.

Overnight Chaos: After discovering the headboard lights in Room 405 would not turn off, staff were unable to fix the issue. After 30 minutes of attempts, we were forced to move rooms at 1:35 a.m., the night before a professional conference for which we had to be up by 6:00 a.m. The chaos that followed was astonishing: • At 1:39 a.m., the Holiday Inn sign inside the elevator fell and shattered on its own when the door opened. • At 1:40 a.m., our new room keys didn’t work in the elevator. • At 1:45 a.m., in our new room (402), the ceiling fire alarm beeped continuously, forcing further intervention. This took the friendly security guard tasked with the problems an additional 30 minutes to resolve—bringing us to 2:15 a.m., with only a few hours left to rest.

Ongoing Issues in the New Room: • The room clock was 10 minutes slow, making us late for our conference. • The inside door light switch and bathroom mirror light were both non-functional. • On June 2 and 3 (after midnight), the shower offered only cold water—no warm or hot option.

Other Most Significant Issues: • The police were called for continued drug usage within rooms on my floor following multiple warnings. I suggest keeping this on the down low and not announcing this over the phone to the entire lobby. • Wi-Fi was unreliable throughout our June 1–3 stay, hindering our ability to work and participate in the conference. • I recommend avoiding the elevator which consistently smells like a combination of marijuana, cigarettes and cleaning chemicals. • The stay was from Wednesday-Sunday (5 days) and not once was our room cleaned, addressed or restocked with necessities despite written description: “To help reduce the amount of water energy, and detergents we use daily we will change your towels and sheets every three days.” Comically bad service.

Disgusting Insect Infestation: Most distressingly, our stay was marred by an active large crawling insect infestation that was observed on multiple days. As documented in the photos and videos provided, we encountered numerous insects within the room, especially near the bed and baseboards—creating an unhygienic and deeply unsettling environment. No guest should have to experience this level of unsanitary conditions, especially in a hotel that presents itself as a reputable chain.

Most Concerning: Despite these repeated and serious problems, no sincere apology, gesture of goodwill, or compensation was proactively offered. When I kindly requested one upon check-out, I was initially told a 20% compensation would be offered—only to have it later denied due to the booking being through a third party (Expedia). Reward membership points were then offered, but these are unfortunately useless to me. For a global brand under the IHG banner, this lack of accountability and hospitality is extremely disappointing.

As a regular Days Inn customer, I expected much better. Given the severity of these issues—especially those impacting safety, rest, and professional responsibilities—I strongly urge others to reconsider before booking a stay at this Days Inn.

Hopefully this can help others avoid my mistake in choosing a...

True, what you read about with the overall conditions of the hotel, from recent posters. The front desk staff is great, friendly, and accommodating. However, there is a lot of maintenance to be done. To see that there has been 'renovations' going on for a couple of years, and the clear evidence as seen in the back stairwell, and other places. The bottom floor carpet (hallway) smells of mold and/or water damage. And there are various cosmetic issues, (chipped drywall, uneven/broken concrete, and other repairs needed).

I don't know if the price matches the overall value of the stay, but on a Milwaukee hotel range, it's not too bad. I think the cleaning crew could be enlarged, and more stringent inspections done to ensure rooms are tidy, fresh, and appealing. I, myself, have witnessed piles of laundry in the hallway for hours at a time, even a dirty mop bucket that just sits in a corner, where someone left it.

The luggage trolly is horrid, either the tires need to be replaced, or the whole unit needs to be replaced. The revenue of the hotel could more than afford a couple of new ones. I'd also suggest removing the carpet from the floors, or going with a more rigid carpet (it's nice to walk on, but it smells, and has track marks from foot traffic).

When it comes to the renovations, tools, materials, and discarded pieces should be promptly removed and/or secured from public view. Maybe its just me, but I haven't seen any construction going on, to reflect the abandonment of these materials. Stepping into a darkened stairwell, while stepping passed all of it, has more of a horror-movie element, not to mention the safety concerns.

I get it, with an extensive renovation project, contractors, staff, and even management might not be on top of their game 100% of the time... but they should be. As far as the outdoors, it is in what could be considered a bit of a rough-neighborhood. Near government housing, and potential homeless trying to panhandle. But that is more of a personal approach, just don't walk around without noting your surroundings at night, and you'll be okay.

The hotel can't do much about the neighborhood, but they could employ a more active security program. Customers shouldn't feel 'scared' to step outside for a smoke, or to get to their vehicle, and maybe that is something the hotel could do to remedy those personal concerns, in a more proactive approach.

As for my room, I can't complain much. The TV shuts itself off every couple of hours, and the AC works fine. The microwave and fridge are extremely tiny, but they work. The room appears to be recently painted, and the floor is vinyl, so I can't see any stains or smells, but maybe my room is different.

Overall, my suggestions to the hotel would be to hire more/retrain the room-service crew, and set standards of cleanliness to meet or exceed customer expectations. Remove/replace the hallway carpets, and the renovation debris needs to be addressed daily. In the future, perhaps a secured outdoor area for guest to smoke, relax, and enjoy the outdoors, without transient interactions. Establish small-term renovation goals so that they can be completed in a timely manner, without rubbish left behind unattended.

Again, the staff is attentive and courteous, at least with the few interactions I've had. I'd give this a higher mark, but there is really too many things that need to be addressed and corrected. There is always room for improvement, and this is...